Disclaimer: everyone knows by now that JKR came up with all of my
characters except for Kristin, but I shall remind you all for purposes
beyond reason. On to chapter 19.
-----
The sun sneaked in through a crack in Kristin's curtains, and Draco knew it was already shaping up to be an impossibly wonderful day. His arms were wrapped snugly around her waist as she slept, and she sighed contentedly when he pulled her even a little bit closer. He inhaled deeply. He always loved her smell and the smell of her room; it was nothing he had ever smelled before, unique and beautiful, but it always let you know she was near or something was hers.
He would love to be hers, to be able to wake up like this every morning, to not have to worry about holidays when she goes away and decides not to talk to him because he's not her boyfriend. He had always thought that he would remain at the sidelines, but incidents like the kiss the night before left him wondering. He began to believe he had a chance with her.
"Good morning, Draco," she stretched far, and Draco watched her muscles ripple slightly under the soft skin on her arms and chest. The tank top she wore fit her snugly and he forced himself to stop staring at her beautiful body.
"Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?" he leaned on his elbow, laying over her. Her eyes were gorgeous; they were nearly glowing, bright and green, full of sparkle. He'd never seen them like this before- normally they were a cloudy hazel, still as beautiful, just different.
"Gloriously. Like a queen, really." She was smiling wide, happier than he's seen her in a long time, even while she was with Harry. She seemed giddy, like a school girl with a crush. He hoped it was because he was here, but he wasn't quite sure. Maybe it was just the good night's sleep. Or a realization that she had a place to call home. She was having a small streak of good fortune and he hoped he was part of it. "And you?"
"I slept very well, thank you. I think you've got it better up here than anyone else- well, besides the ass for a father bit- it's very quiet and peaceful."
"It's lonely." Her eyes lost the light Draco had found so mesmerizing and became hazel again. He was shocked by the transition, but hoped it didn't show in his face. Kristin didn't open up often and he didn't want to scare her off if she was about to. "Kind of a hell, really. This constant reminder that you're not supposed to be here, that you were supposed to be dead with all the rest of them, that you weren't even supposed to make it past nursery school, but here you are and because you are, five other people aren't. Yeah, I guess, peaceful is the word for it."
Draco simply nodded and sighed. When Kristin got in moods like this it was nearly impossible to persuade her otherwise. He had tried once; tried to convince her that it was fate- part of a larger plan- but she shut him down with yet another snide pessimistic remark about how only the weak rely on fate- the truly powerful make their own destiny. "Be that way," he always told her, hoping this wouldn't be the time she decided to listen to him. At that she would smile weakly at him and change the subject.
Today the subject was Snape and what could be the start of something wonderful for Kristin, who had waited so long for something of the sort. But Draco knew and was pretty sure Kristin knew as well that this would come easily; maybe from Dumbledore, but not from her father, who would stop and nothing to destroy her little by little until she had no choice but to cross to his side.
But for now, she glowed gloriously in her ecstasy and relished every moment of happiness time granted her.
-----
Her moments of happiness, as usual, wouldn't last long. The rain started slowly drizzling outside and began pouring before the hour was through. Thunder shook the grounds and lighting blazoned the night sky. Kristin got up from her bed and attempted to shut the windows when a bolt of lighting found a destination in her. She crumpled to the floor in a heap and Draco smelled the burning, hoping he could do something for her. He approached her cautiously; he didn't care too much if he got hurt but he couldn't do anything to help her if he was so badly injured that he needed help himself.
He could feel the energy just being near her and knew to back away and get the professionals, but he also knew that this was a different bolt of lightning. Draco had seen a friend of his mother's electrocuted by wire when she was in a muggle house; she didn't know how they worked and tried to prod it with a butter knife. Kristin didn't look the same- she lacked the same shock value; she collapsed as if all the life had been sucked from her and she was simply some bones covered in skin in a heap on her bedroom floor.
He ran out of the room just like that bolt of lightning, desperate to get help for her before she was helpless. He didn't know how and remember the journey, but he arrived at the door of the infirmary and knocked loudly, only needing to say her name before the nurse ran with him back to Kristin's room.
"She's not here, Draco!" Madame Pomfrey chided. "What's going on?"
"She was struck by lightning. It came right through the window. I don't know what happened exactly but she collapsed and she was right here on the floor and I didn't want to touch her and get shocked myself so I came and got you so I don't know what-"
"He finally got her," a deeper voice entered the room which seemed to be eerily glowing.
"Professor Snape," the nurse sighed, "what is going on here?"
"Her father came for her. I can see it all around can't you? In the storm- "
"What storm?" Madame Pomfrey interjected.
"Exactly, her father staged a storm outside her window. As soon as she got close enough to it, am I right Draco, he struck her with lighting. I hate to say this Draco but this wasn't ordinary lightning, as is nothing the Dark Lord uses to victimize people. It depleted her of her soul. Then he came back for the body. It's a good thing you didn't touch her, son. The void inside her self would've come after you, and taken your being to replace its own - that's when this sort of thing gets messy."
"So she can be fixed?" the lovestruck boy pleaded.
"If we can find her, we need Dumbledore's help, of course," he hesitated shortly, but said the words Draco knew and feared he would hear, "probably Potter's too.
Draco nodded and Snape assigned him the task of enlisting Harry in the search for the girl, while the professor would notify the headmaster. Draco ran as fast as he could to Gryffindor house and argued furiously with the fat lady in the painting to let him through the door. Finally convinced, the lady let him pass into the Gryffindor common room where he found Harry with Hermoine and Ron, sitting by the fire. The two boys were playing a game of wizard's chess while the girl entertained herself with a book that seemed larger than she was.
"Malfoy," Harry looked up, diverted by the swift and urgent manner in which the interloper made his way through their common room. "How did you-"
"This is not the time, Potter," Draco interrupted, "I need you help. Kristin needs you."
"I told you before, Malfoy-"
"He took her back, Harry!" Draco screamed, infuriated by the boy's insensitivity, "Voldemort came and got her, stole her away from me while I stood there. I don't care how you feel right now because I really hope she doesn't get back together with you when we save her anyway. But Voldemort is feeding off her power and instability as we speak. I would love the girl of my dreams back with me and I don't think you would like to fight an even stronger more powerful Dark Lord with the blood of the innocent girl you once loved running through his veins. So right now we both need to calm down and save her, you for your reasons and me for mine." He became suddenly quiet and reticent; his voice lost the power and vehemence with which he pled his case, and became a small whimper. "Please Harry. I know we haven't gotten along ever, but I can't stand to lose my best friend three times. I'm begging you."
Tears streamed from his eyes, leaving the three Gryffindors dumbfounded and with no choice but to help him and Kristin.
-----
The sun sneaked in through a crack in Kristin's curtains, and Draco knew it was already shaping up to be an impossibly wonderful day. His arms were wrapped snugly around her waist as she slept, and she sighed contentedly when he pulled her even a little bit closer. He inhaled deeply. He always loved her smell and the smell of her room; it was nothing he had ever smelled before, unique and beautiful, but it always let you know she was near or something was hers.
He would love to be hers, to be able to wake up like this every morning, to not have to worry about holidays when she goes away and decides not to talk to him because he's not her boyfriend. He had always thought that he would remain at the sidelines, but incidents like the kiss the night before left him wondering. He began to believe he had a chance with her.
"Good morning, Draco," she stretched far, and Draco watched her muscles ripple slightly under the soft skin on her arms and chest. The tank top she wore fit her snugly and he forced himself to stop staring at her beautiful body.
"Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?" he leaned on his elbow, laying over her. Her eyes were gorgeous; they were nearly glowing, bright and green, full of sparkle. He'd never seen them like this before- normally they were a cloudy hazel, still as beautiful, just different.
"Gloriously. Like a queen, really." She was smiling wide, happier than he's seen her in a long time, even while she was with Harry. She seemed giddy, like a school girl with a crush. He hoped it was because he was here, but he wasn't quite sure. Maybe it was just the good night's sleep. Or a realization that she had a place to call home. She was having a small streak of good fortune and he hoped he was part of it. "And you?"
"I slept very well, thank you. I think you've got it better up here than anyone else- well, besides the ass for a father bit- it's very quiet and peaceful."
"It's lonely." Her eyes lost the light Draco had found so mesmerizing and became hazel again. He was shocked by the transition, but hoped it didn't show in his face. Kristin didn't open up often and he didn't want to scare her off if she was about to. "Kind of a hell, really. This constant reminder that you're not supposed to be here, that you were supposed to be dead with all the rest of them, that you weren't even supposed to make it past nursery school, but here you are and because you are, five other people aren't. Yeah, I guess, peaceful is the word for it."
Draco simply nodded and sighed. When Kristin got in moods like this it was nearly impossible to persuade her otherwise. He had tried once; tried to convince her that it was fate- part of a larger plan- but she shut him down with yet another snide pessimistic remark about how only the weak rely on fate- the truly powerful make their own destiny. "Be that way," he always told her, hoping this wouldn't be the time she decided to listen to him. At that she would smile weakly at him and change the subject.
Today the subject was Snape and what could be the start of something wonderful for Kristin, who had waited so long for something of the sort. But Draco knew and was pretty sure Kristin knew as well that this would come easily; maybe from Dumbledore, but not from her father, who would stop and nothing to destroy her little by little until she had no choice but to cross to his side.
But for now, she glowed gloriously in her ecstasy and relished every moment of happiness time granted her.
-----
Her moments of happiness, as usual, wouldn't last long. The rain started slowly drizzling outside and began pouring before the hour was through. Thunder shook the grounds and lighting blazoned the night sky. Kristin got up from her bed and attempted to shut the windows when a bolt of lighting found a destination in her. She crumpled to the floor in a heap and Draco smelled the burning, hoping he could do something for her. He approached her cautiously; he didn't care too much if he got hurt but he couldn't do anything to help her if he was so badly injured that he needed help himself.
He could feel the energy just being near her and knew to back away and get the professionals, but he also knew that this was a different bolt of lightning. Draco had seen a friend of his mother's electrocuted by wire when she was in a muggle house; she didn't know how they worked and tried to prod it with a butter knife. Kristin didn't look the same- she lacked the same shock value; she collapsed as if all the life had been sucked from her and she was simply some bones covered in skin in a heap on her bedroom floor.
He ran out of the room just like that bolt of lightning, desperate to get help for her before she was helpless. He didn't know how and remember the journey, but he arrived at the door of the infirmary and knocked loudly, only needing to say her name before the nurse ran with him back to Kristin's room.
"She's not here, Draco!" Madame Pomfrey chided. "What's going on?"
"She was struck by lightning. It came right through the window. I don't know what happened exactly but she collapsed and she was right here on the floor and I didn't want to touch her and get shocked myself so I came and got you so I don't know what-"
"He finally got her," a deeper voice entered the room which seemed to be eerily glowing.
"Professor Snape," the nurse sighed, "what is going on here?"
"Her father came for her. I can see it all around can't you? In the storm- "
"What storm?" Madame Pomfrey interjected.
"Exactly, her father staged a storm outside her window. As soon as she got close enough to it, am I right Draco, he struck her with lighting. I hate to say this Draco but this wasn't ordinary lightning, as is nothing the Dark Lord uses to victimize people. It depleted her of her soul. Then he came back for the body. It's a good thing you didn't touch her, son. The void inside her self would've come after you, and taken your being to replace its own - that's when this sort of thing gets messy."
"So she can be fixed?" the lovestruck boy pleaded.
"If we can find her, we need Dumbledore's help, of course," he hesitated shortly, but said the words Draco knew and feared he would hear, "probably Potter's too.
Draco nodded and Snape assigned him the task of enlisting Harry in the search for the girl, while the professor would notify the headmaster. Draco ran as fast as he could to Gryffindor house and argued furiously with the fat lady in the painting to let him through the door. Finally convinced, the lady let him pass into the Gryffindor common room where he found Harry with Hermoine and Ron, sitting by the fire. The two boys were playing a game of wizard's chess while the girl entertained herself with a book that seemed larger than she was.
"Malfoy," Harry looked up, diverted by the swift and urgent manner in which the interloper made his way through their common room. "How did you-"
"This is not the time, Potter," Draco interrupted, "I need you help. Kristin needs you."
"I told you before, Malfoy-"
"He took her back, Harry!" Draco screamed, infuriated by the boy's insensitivity, "Voldemort came and got her, stole her away from me while I stood there. I don't care how you feel right now because I really hope she doesn't get back together with you when we save her anyway. But Voldemort is feeding off her power and instability as we speak. I would love the girl of my dreams back with me and I don't think you would like to fight an even stronger more powerful Dark Lord with the blood of the innocent girl you once loved running through his veins. So right now we both need to calm down and save her, you for your reasons and me for mine." He became suddenly quiet and reticent; his voice lost the power and vehemence with which he pled his case, and became a small whimper. "Please Harry. I know we haven't gotten along ever, but I can't stand to lose my best friend three times. I'm begging you."
Tears streamed from his eyes, leaving the three Gryffindors dumbfounded and with no choice but to help him and Kristin.